Pod Migration

The Minnesota Whitecaps aren’t the only team who moved this off-season; the CT Whale also have a new home arena. On September 15th, the team announced they would move from the Danbury Ice Arena to the International Skating Center of CT (ISCC) for the 22/23 season. 

Since 2019, the Whale have played at the multi-purpose arena in Danbury, Connecticut. The 3,000-seat arena has been home to teams like the Danbury Trashers of the United Hockey League (2004 to 2006) and the New England Stars of the North Eastern Hockey League (2006 to 2007). 

From https://stadiumjourney.com/stadiums/danbury-ice-arena-connecticut-whale

The Whale are very thankful for their time in Danbury. The arena became an iconic part of Whale games, with the team song, Brass Bonanza, ringing through the city after every goal. Several local businesses supported the team throughout their time, and the team wouldn’t have grown without them. Now, they will get to make those relationships in Simsbury. 

This environment is suited for athletes of all ages and abilities to train, play, and have fun. The ISCC arena has a twin-rink training facility and a state-of-the-art fitness center. The arena has a dance and group exercise studio, newly renovated skybox viewing rooms, a pro shop, and a restaurant. Having all that in one location means the team has a stable place for practice, community events, and a professional hockey experience. 

The ISCC has had all kinds of things book ice time, from Olympic Figure skaters to national hockey tournaments. Their mission has been to bring ISCC back into the spotlight and reignite hometown pride in Simsbury. ISCC Owner and General Manager Kelle Becconsall said in the announcement, “We are so excited to bring the highest level of sports back to Simsbury and our surrounding communities…Now we get to host women’s professional hockey, which doesn’t get much better. We’re beyond honored to have the Connecticut Whale call us their home rink and can’t wait to welcome them to ISCC.”

ISCC ownership has been working for several months to prepare the arena to host professional women’s hockey, and the team is excited. Whale Owner Tobin Kelly said, “The Whale are thrilled to be putting down our roots at ISCC in Simsbury and bringing Brass Bonanza back to the Greater Hartford area.”

This is another positive step in the PHF’s growth as a league. Better facilities mean that the women’s game is being taken more seriously, and teams are moving toward having arenas on par with the NHL. Even though that may seem far off, it finally feels doable for the PHF. 

The Whale will have two games at Milford Ice Arena, about an hour away from their new home arena. Milford will remain the team’s practice facility for this season. Based on the schedule released on September 19th, the Whale’s first game at ISCC will be Friday, December 9th. The team will release more information about tickets and other details closer to the start of the season.

This piece is part of the “Get Ready for the PHF Season” series. Check out the PHF tab on Inside the Rink for other articles.

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